Electric-conductor-insulating support.



J. A. KOONTZ, JR.

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR INSULATING SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1916.

1,215,549. v Patented Feb.13.1917u A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. KOONTZ, JR., OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNCR OF ONE-HALF TO EDN'ARD I W. BEARDSLEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO RICHARD W. SHOEMAKER, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC-CONDUCTOR-INSULATING SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. Koox'rz, Jr, a citizen of the United States. residing at Palo Alto, in the county of Santa Clarav and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Conductor-Insulating Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of electric-conductor insulating-supports, and more particularly to that type consisting of a series of interconnected units.

The uneven distribution of voltage along a string of insulators is well known. lVith a small numberof units this uneven distribution is not serious, and scarcely justifies the complication and expense required to overcome it. But with an increasing number of units, the distribution becomes contin'ually poorer. 1&- limit is soon reached where additional -units make no appreciable decrease in the potential. duty of those units next the conductor.

In general, the unit next to the conductor has the largest proportion of the total voltage across it, thesucceeding units taking a smaller and smaller amount satisfactory for two reasons; the units nearer the conductor have to stand an excessive strain, and the units nearer the grounded end have a lower voltage across them than is desirable for economical service.

The object of my invention, therefore, is r manner that eaoh-will'take an approximate equal proportion of the total voltage. This is accomplished broadly by grading the electrostatic capacity of the,individi1al units. The capacities of the units nearer the conductor are increased relatively to the capacities of the units nearer the ground, and by so doing the voltage duty of all the units of the series is rendered practically uniform.

The result of my invention is to enable higher voltage than has heretofore been employed to be carried in a conductor without danger of corona discharge from the metal parts of the insulator units nearest the conductor. A further advantage of my invention lies in the fact that it may be employed upon standard insulators as now constructed. thus eliminating the need for spe Specification of Letters Patent.

This is un Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Application filed July 26, 1916. Serial No. 1I1,398.

cially constructed and expensive insulator units.

T 0 this end, my invention consists in the novel device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein.

Figural is an elevation of a suspension In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 represents an electric conductor, and 2 the supporting arm therefor. Aninsulator-support comprising a series of inter-connected insulating units 3 (here shown as of the suspension type) supports the conductor 1 from the arm 2 in the usual well known manner. by means of a clamp l. Each of the insulator units 3, as shown particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, comprises a bell 5 of porcelain or. other, electrically non-conducting material, surmounted by a metallic cap 6 carrying the upper suspension member 7. The ,lower suspension member 8 is retained within the cavityf) of the bell in any well known manner, as, for example, by cement 10.

Surrounding the cap 6, I place a disk 11 of electrically conducting material, and

preferably hollow. as shown in the draw Figs. i and 5. the edges 12 thereof being curved and formed with a radius great enough to prevent corona discharge. The

disk should lie in electrical contact with the cap 6, but ordlnarily need not be permanently secured thereto.

Below the lowermost insulating unit 3. I place a metallic disk 13 having electrical connection with the lower suspension memher 8 of said lowermost 'insulatin unit.

The conducting disks 11 increase the electro-static capacity of the individual insulator units, and by varying the thickness of said disks to bring their adjacent surfaces nearer together, and also by varying the diameter of said disks, the electro-static capacity of the units can be varied. There fore, the insulator units nearer the conductor 1 are equipped with conducting disks 11 of relatively great thickness and as large in diameter as the diameter of the insulating units will permit. As the distance from the conductor 1 increases, the conducting disks then become thinner, as at 11 and finally smaller in diameter,-as at 11 The upper insulating units have no disks whatever.

Thus it will be seen that the electrostatic capacity of the lowermost insulating units is increased metallic disks 11, and the capacities of the succeeding units are graded by means of the disks 11 and 11 of less thickness and diameter, so that the voltage duty of the several insulator, units of the series is rendered approximately uniform.-

I claim i 1. An electric-conductor port, comprising a plurality of interconnected insulating units, and a hollow metallic diskinterposed sulating unitsfor increasing the electrostatic capacity thereof.

2. An electric conductor insulating support. comprising a plurality'of interconnected insulator units, and conducting members interposed between said insulating units, said conducting members varyingin thickness. f

3. An electric-conductor insulating-support, comprising a plurality of interconnected insulating-units, and removable conducting members interposed between said by the addition thereto of theport comprising insulating-sup:

between two. adjacent ininsulating units, said conductingmembers varying in diameter.

nected insulating units adaptedto siipport a conductor, and conducting members interposed between said insulating units,;said conducting members. being of greater thickness and diameter nearer said conductor.

5; An electric-conductor insulating-support, comprising a plurality of interconnected insulating units, and conducting members interposed between said units, said conducting members varying in thickness and diameter. I

6. An electric-conductor insulating-supa series of inter-connected insulating units, a metallic disk positioned between the conductor and the insulating unit adjacent thereto, and metallic disks interposed between said insulating-units, said disks varying in thickness and diameter, the disks of greatest thickness 1 and diameter being nearest the conductor,

7. An electric-conductor. insulating-support comprising a series of alternating insulating and conducting units spaced apart by varying distances, the least distance being nearest the conductor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 'name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i a

JOHN A. 'KOONTZ, JR, \Vitnesses: f.

.WM. F. BOOTH,

D, RICHARDS. 

